Electric irons



Nov. 26, 1957 A. SEBOK 2,81

ELECTRIC IRONS Filed Feb. 28, 1955 rates Patent Ofifice 2,814,136 Patented Nov. 26, 1957 ELECTRHC IRONS Albert 1... Sebolr, North Canton, Ohio, assignor to The Hoover Company, North Canton, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application February 28, 1955, Serial No. 491,110

4 Claims. (CI. 38-90) The present invention relates to electric irons and more particularly to an arrangement whereby an electric iron may be easily converted from right hand to left hand use.

In electric irons as normally made, an electric extension cord projects to the right from the rear leg of the handie for normal right hand use. According to the present invention, provision is made whereby the cord may be turned through 180 so as to extend to the left of the iron in order to adapt it to left hand users.

Specifically, according to the present invention, the rear of the handle is so made that the electric cord may be reversed in direction from its normal right hand extension and clamped to the rear of the handle so as to extend in a left hand direction.

According to one form of the invention, a recess is molded in the rear of the handle to receive the cord as it is turned through 180 from its normal right hand extension. According to a second modification, a separate clip is attached to the rear of the handle which cooperates with the rearwardly extending supporting lug which normally aids in supporting the iron on its heel.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent as the description proceeds when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a side view of the iron of the present invention showing the cord in its normal position extending to the right of the handle and also showing a pocket formed in the rear of the handle for receiving the cord when it is extended to the left,

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the iron of Figure 1 showing the cord turned through 180 and held in position by the recess in the rear of the handle, and

Figure 3 shows a modified form of the invention in the form of a bracket which cooperates with a rear supporting lug on the rear of the handle for supporting the electric cord across the rear of the handle.

The iron of the present invention comprises a soleplate surmounted by a cover shell 11 and handle 12, having front and rear legs 13 and 14. The iron includes an electric heater (not shown) supplied with electric current by an electric conductor 15 which normally extends outwardly from the rear handle leg 14 as shown in Figure 1. A cord protector 16 of rubberlike material surrounds the cord 15 where it is attached to the rear leg 14 of the iron and is anchored in an opening in the rear handle leg 14, the latter being hollow to accommodate the electrical connections.

The rear end of the handle 12 is formed with a protuberance 20 which cooperates with the rear end 21 of the cover shell 11 to support the iron on its heel. Immediately below the protuberance 20, the rear leg 14 of the handle is formed with a projection 22 which stops short of the protuberance 20 to form a recess 23 for receiving and holding the cord 15, and preferably that portion of the cord encased in the protecting sleeve 16 as it is turned through across the rear of the handle as shown in Figure 2.

When it is desired to convert the iron from right to left hand ironing, the cord is moved from the dotted line position of Figure 2 to the full line position with the protecting sleeve received in the recess 23 whereby the cord will extend to the left or away from a left hand user.

Figure 3 shows a modification of the invention by which irons already manufactured may be converted from right to left hand use.

The iron of Figure 3 is a standard iron in which the rear leg 30 is provided with a protuberance 31 which cooperates with the rear end of the cover shell 32 to support the iron on its heel as in the first modification.

A clip 32 is suitably attached to the rear of the handle leg 30 and cooperates with the protuberance 31 to form a recess 34 for receiving the electric cord 35 when it is reversed for a left hand use as shown in dotted lines.

From the foregoing description, it can be seen that the present invention provides an electric iron which may be easily converted from right to left hand use and means by which an iron already constructed may be converted.

While I have shown and described the two modifications of my invention, it is to be understood that those modifications are to be taken as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense. I do not wish to be limited to the particular structure shown and described, but Wish to include all equivalent variations thereof except as limited by the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. An electric iron constructed for either right or left hand use comprising an iron body, a handle attached thereto, said handle including a rear leg having side walls and a rear wall, and an electric cord attached to and extending from the right hand side wall of said handle leg, that improvement which comprises a recess formed in said rear wall, said recess being formed with opposed walls spaced apart sufficiently to frictionally engage the opposite sides of said cord when the latter is inserted into said recess whereby said cord may be flexed through 180 and inserted into said recess so as to extend to the left hand side of said iron whereby said iron is converted to left hand use.

2. An electric iron, according to claim 1, in which said rear leg is provided with a rearwardly projecting protuberance to normally form a support for supporting the iron on its heel and in which said protuberance forms one wall of said recess.

3. An electric iron, according to claim 2, in which the opposite wall of said recess is formed integrally with said rear wall.

4. An electric iron, according to claim 2, in which the opposite wall of said recess is formed by a bracket attached to said rear wall below said protuberance.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,535,578 Colby Apr. 28, 1925 2,416,984 Farr Mar. 4, 1947 2,634,523 Polivka et a1 Apr. 14, 1953 2,639,521 Rickettson May 26, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 607,645 Great Britain Sept. 2, 1948 

